Raised Garden Beds

Lalor Living & Learning Centre was delighted to be a key player in a project with the Department of Health and Human Services Disability Accommodation Services.

The Raised Garden Beds for Better Health project, funded via the City of Whittlesea 2014-15 Community Grants Program, was led by the Department of Health & Human Services, North East Melbourne Area, in collaboration with a number of City of Whittlesea community partners. These partners included the Lalor Living and Learning Centre, who were the auspice for the project; the Lalor and District Men’s Shed, who constructed and installed the garden beds, including a bespoke wheel-chair accessible garden bed for one of the houses; and the Lalor Community Garden, who have provided seedlings and plants for the gardens, as well as social support to the gardeners through the sharing of gardening know-how.

The objective of the project was to construct and install three raised garden beds, one at each of the residences, in order to develop sensory and edible gardens to promote healthy eating, physical activity, and community connections for the fifteen residents of the houses.

The project partners were all incredibly flexible and willing to help and Lalor Living & Learning Centre is proud of our contribution to the development of this network and the planning and achievement of the outcomes.

One of the House Supervisors commented: “(The) garden is doing so well. The veggie from the community garden are so yummy. We have had lots of home grown veggies and currently have heaps of tomatoes and corn growing… The clients love going out to water and have a great garden.” Residents have visited the Lalor Community Garden and two of the houses (will) have a garden bed at the community garden.